Biomaterial Database

Binding capacity of alpha-crystallin to bovine lens lipids. 1996

D Borchman, and D Tang

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Louisville, KY 40202, USA.

Three experiments were performed to determine the alpha-crystallin binding capacity of bovine lens lipid vesicles. In one experiment lipid was kept constant (2.5 mg ml-1) and the alpha-crystallin concentration was changed (0.5 to 3.0 mg ml-1). In another experiment, alpha-crystallin was kept constant (1 mg ml-1) and the concentration of lipid was varied (0.25 to 3 mg ml-1). We calculated the binding capacity of the lipid to be 0.33 +/- 0.05 (S.D.) mg alpha-crystallin (mg lens lipid)-1. This was confirmed by changes in the anisotropy and fluorescent intensity of a probe that partitions at the headgroup region of the lipid bilayer. Near 0.33 mg alpha-crystallin (mg lens lipid)-1 the fluorescence intensity and anisotropy of the probe increases and plateaus which indicates that concomitant with alpha-crystallin binding, water is excluded from the head group region of the bilayer and the headgroup region becomes less mobile. It is possible that alpha-crystallin binding could protect and stabilize the lipid bilayer and decrease membrane permeability.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007908	Lens, Crystalline	A transparent, biconvex structure of the EYE, enclosed in a capsule and situated behind the IRIS and in front of the vitreous humor (VITREOUS BODY). It is slightly overlapped at its margin by the ciliary processes. Adaptation by the CILIARY BODY is crucial for OCULAR ACCOMMODATION.	Eye Lens,Lens, Eye,Crystalline Lens
D002417	Cattle	Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.	Beef Cow,Bos grunniens,Bos indicus,Bos indicus Cattle,Bos taurus,Cow,Cow, Domestic,Dairy Cow,Holstein Cow,Indicine Cattle,Taurine Cattle,Taurus Cattle,Yak,Zebu,Beef Cows,Bos indicus Cattles,Cattle, Bos indicus,Cattle, Indicine,Cattle, Taurine,Cattle, Taurus,Cattles, Bos indicus,Cattles, Indicine,Cattles, Taurine,Cattles, Taurus,Cow, Beef,Cow, Dairy,Cow, Holstein,Cows,Dairy Cows,Domestic Cow,Domestic Cows,Indicine Cattles,Taurine Cattles,Taurus Cattles,Yaks,Zebus
D003459	Crystallins	A heterogeneous family of water-soluble structural proteins found in cells of the vertebrate lens. The presence of these proteins accounts for the transparency of the lens. The family is composed of four major groups, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, and several minor groups, which are classed on the basis of size, charge, immunological properties, and vertebrate source. Alpha, beta, and delta crystallins occur in avian and reptilian lenses, while alpha, beta, and gamma crystallins occur in all other lenses.	Lens Proteins,Crystallin,Eye Lens Protein,Lens Protein, Eye,Protein, Eye Lens,Proteins, Lens
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D005454	Fluorescence Polarization	Measurement of the polarization of fluorescent light from solutions or microscopic specimens. It is used to provide information concerning molecular size, shape, and conformation, molecular anisotropy, electronic energy transfer, molecular interaction, including dye and coenzyme binding, and the antigen-antibody reaction.	Anisotropy, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropy,Polarization, Fluorescence,Anisotropies, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropies,Fluorescence Polarizations,Polarizations, Fluorescence
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013010	Sonication	The application of high intensity ultrasound to liquids.	Sonications
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D050356	Lipid Metabolism	Physiological processes in biosynthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) of LIPIDS.	Metabolism, Lipid